After embarrassing election in PA, Republicans wonder whether tax cuts will save them in November

[DonViejo]

After embarrassing election in Pennsylvania, Republicans wonder whether tax cuts will save them in November


By CATHLEEN DECKER
MAR 14, 2018 | 2:15 AM| WASHINGTON

The most dangerous outcome for Republicans in Tuesday's special House election is not the prospect of a Democrat taking over one of their seats.

It was the shrugging off by voters of the party's biggest legislative achievement: the tax cut measure that Republicans hoped would be their major campaign message as they head toward a turbulent midterm election.

Though the popularity of Trump's tax plan has grown since it was passed last year, it seemed to have stalled as an election issue in Pennsylvania, leading Republicans to shift away from it late in the campaign in search of another topic to energize supporters of state legislator Rick Saccone.

"It looks like it just petered out," pollster Patrick Murray of the nonpartisan Monmouth University Polling Institute said of the tax plan's impact on the election.

more
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-election-republicans-20180314-story.html

[ollie10]

1. The tax cut should become a DEMOCRATIC talking point....

....as in, the Republicans gave a few crumbs to the working class and the biggest cuts for the very rich.

I heard someone say that this was not necessarily a Trump district, it was more like a populist district. Trump's populism spoke to them.

Maybe we can win back some of these voters by showing how the Trump tax bill did not help the people.....not as populist as it was cracked up to be.

We need to reach out to working class voters. This used to be the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.

[Hortensis]

2. Yes. Apparently our message has been getting through

in spite of the massive right wing propaganda.

I read that the GOP imagined they could base their entire midterms effort on this great "achievement," until this conservative district slapped them with reality. Every week they cut back tax "cut" ads precipitously because their effect was so negative, until this last week when they went almost silent on it and Saccone started talking instead about how his opponent hated god and America.

Apparently not all conservatives are quite as deluded when it comes to their own pocketbooks as the kleptocrats controlling their party hoped. And now we know some are listening.

[safeinOhio]

3. Theyve nailed down the 1% vote.

Well, at least 40% of the 1% vote.

[Javaman]

4. it amazes me how they think the "tax cuts" which helped the richest of the rich

and had little to no effect on the 99% will think it will help them in a general election?

oh right, russians.

[CanonRay]

5. "It just petered out"

so everybody spent the $1.50 already?